1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, and more particularly, to a process for selecting a desired image from an inputted moving image.
2. Related Background Art
Digital television receivers have been developed as apparatuses for inputting and processing moving image data.
FIG. 24 shows the structure of such a digital television receiver in which, in particular, moving image data is received and a frame designated by a user among received moving image data is outputted to a printer, etc. (not shown) as a still image. Referring to FIG. 24, reference numeral 2401 denotes a broadcast receiving unit; 2402 denotes a received data analyzing unit; 2403 denotes a received data storing unit; 2404 denotes a moving image output unit; 2405 denotes a moving image decoding unit; 2406 denotes a still image output unit; and 2407 denotes an operation unit for designating an outputted frame.
Next, a description is given of an operation of the digital television receiver in FIG. 24 with reference to a flowchart of FIG. 25. In step S2501, the broadcast receiving unit 2401 receives digital television broadcast. In step S2502, the received data analyzing unit 2402 analyzes received data, divides the analyzed data into moving image data, audio data, and other data, and stores the divided data into the received data storing unit 2403.
In step S2503, the moving image decoding unit 2405 decodes encoded moving image data, and outputs the decoded moving image data to the moving image output unit 2406 on a frame basis. In step S2504, it is checked whether or not the operation unit 2407 issues an instruction for designating an output of a still image. If YES in step S2504, the processing routine advances to step S2505. If NO in step S2504, the processing routine returns to step S2401. In step S2505, the designated frame is outputted to a still image output unit 2408 as the still image.
As shown in FIG. 4, for example, a description is given to explain an example in which in a television program 401, after a scene 403 indicating that an anchorperson points out a flip chart, a scene 405 indicating that the flip is closed up continues for several seconds and, then, is changed to a scene 407 indicating the face of the anchorperson. It is frequently desired that the scene 405 indicating the anchorperson's face closed-up is outputted to the printer as a still image so as to memorize the contents thereof.
In this case, in the aforementioned digital television receiver, a viewer operates the operation unit 2407, thereby outputting the frame at that moment (frame 401B shown in FIG. 4) to the printer to be printed as the still image.
However, although it maintains a sufficient picture quality as long as it is viewed as the moving image, in many cases, a character, etc. become non-definitional if only a single frame is extracted as the still image. If the same subject to be photographed is captured, the definition of the image is varied frame by frame because of blur and a out-of-focus state which is caused by slight movement of a camera. In general, the viewer designates the frame without recognizing the foregoing and, therefore, a non-definitional frame is often extracted and printed.